RWBY: Ashes
by StrikeFreedom462
Summary: Hildegard Soleil was a huntress of great renown, known throughout Remnant as the "Shieldmaiden of Vale." But after failing a mission that kills one of her closest friends, she slips into depression. Yet fate intervenes and places a young child in her care and with the help of this child Hildegard's world begins to drastically change.
1. Prolouge: Sacrifice

**A/N:** After the end of Volume 3 I found myself both in awe and despair. Despite already working on several stories I decided to just write a short one for RWBY and hilariously it is probably going to be my first completed Fan Fic. I have already completed all the chapters for this short fan fic so expect one chapter every week until it's done. Well without further ado enjoy.

 **Edit 7/4/2017:** Edited and removed most of the mistakes and added a few more scenes...

 **Summary:** Hildegard Soleil is a huntress of great renown, known throughout Remnant as the "Shieldmaiden of Vale." After she causes the death of one of her closest friends she breaks down and seeks out death's embrace. Yet fate intervenes and places a young child in her care. With the help of this child Hildegard's world begins to drastically change **.**

 **RWBY : Ashes**

 **Prologue: Sacrifice**

A woman with ice blue hair pried her weapon out of the corpse of a disintegrating Griffon while viewing the chaos around her. They had started out with three teams of the finest huntsmen and huntresses that Remnant had to offer, in addition to four teams of Atlesian specialists and two battalions from the Atlesian Military. Yet all these lives stood no chance against the unending wave of nightmarish Grimm. Whatever it was that Ozpin and many mysterious benefactors were obsessed with, in the span of three days had costed nearly all the huntsmen, huntresses and 85% of the Atlesian military that assisted them.

A woman with a deathly pallor, sickly crimson and purple veins running across her arms and face, and soulless black eyes, watched from atop her hill as the humans futilely carved their way through the hordes of Grimm. At the head of the charge was a woman with ice blue hair; followed by another woman with braided ice blonde hair and their standards flying high. Behind these two imposing huntresses stood a lone fragile woman clad in a white hood. For three days Salem had tested these impudent fools that invaded her realm. And for three days seen these three women bring their collapsing force back from the brink of annihilation.

"I guess playtime is over," the Grimm-kin chided before summoning a horrendous amount of Grimm. "It's time to cut the head off the snake."

With the raise of her hand, a massive griffon landed next to her and she mounted the beast. Glaring at her target, deep down she felt satisfied to finally find an enemy worth killing. Then upon click of her heels the beast charged toward the last remaining invaders.

 **Unknown... A few minutes later...**

Hildegard cursed at herself for leading what few troops they had left on a suicidal charge. The current state of affairs dictated she should not have lead the charge; her own aura levels were low, as were Jeanne's and Summer's. Not to mention the last of the Atlesian specialists had fallen and that they had nearly ran out of Dust ammunition. The remaining Atlesian soldiers were barely holding off the Grimm with their crude makeshift weapons.

"Hildegard! I don't care if General Ironwood placed you in command!" an officer yelled at her. "We barely have the firepower or manpower for this!"

Hildegard stared icily at the officer raising her weapon; an intricately designed double headed energy battle axe, vanishing for a second, then reappearing behind the officer blocking a strike from a griffon. A strike that was meant to kill the arrogant officer.

"No! Ozpin entrusted us to complete this task," Hild replied as she struck down the griffin. "The Grimm-kin must fall otherwise all is lost!"

The huntress failed to realize the massive griffon converging on her position. Before she could react, the enormous beast had already knocked her down and threw her weapon several feet away from her. The officer attempted to run, but failed as he was devoured alongside another Atlesian soldier. Then, Hildegard saw _her_ as she dismounted the massive beast. Just the sight of the deathly pale woman felt like being in Death's presence. Hild felt as if her soul was being sucked out into the void of her eyes - Salem. The Grimm-kin smiled as she watched the remaining Atlesian soldiers scatter. The fleeing troops dragging with them both Jeanne and Summer - only a wounded Hildegard and Salem remained.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen, you bring an army thinking you can win, thinking you can defeat despair itself," she chided as Hildegard crawled towards her weapon. "Yet, here you are crawling for your life; you humans are nothing more than arrogant fools."

The huntress finally grasped her weapon, but Salem kicked her to the side knocking it out of her hands. Still holding onto what hope she had left Hildegard, writhed towards her weapon once again.

"You still cannot grasp your fate... I guess the only cure for your stupidity is death."

Finally reaching her axe she looked back only to see a sword in Salem's hands . At that moment all hope left Hildegard, she closed her eyes accepting her fate. But there was no strike, opening her eyes she saw only a flash of white, red and a shower of rose petals. Much to both Salem and Hildegard's surprise, the young huntress Summer had stepped into the path of the weapon. Summer grasped the large gash on her chest, her hand stained crimson, as blood continued to dye her pure white hood. In a fit of anger and adrenaline, Hildegard grasped her weapon and charged at the Grimm-kin. The witch taken by surprise, felt a sharp pain as Hild's weapon injured her. The assault did not stop there as the battle axe discharged its' built up energy, damaging Salem and sent her flying back several feet. Hildegard threw the axe into the air as its' shaft shrunk about half its' size, before breaking into two blade tonfas. Grasping her two new weapons the huntress threw ferocious attacks at Salem.

The witch could see the determination in her the huntress' eyes and was forced to emit a pulse wave that sent Hildegard back, unfortunately it was not enough to quell Hild's rage. Quickly Salem, rallied a massive amount of Grimm and threw them at Hildegard. Conversely these creatures only seem to further the woman's ferocity. Salem was baffled as she watched a single huntress mow down countless Grimm and with each kill she crept closer to her. The witch felt something she'd never expected to - fear.

A blinding light forced the enraged huntress to close her eyes and a brief moment to regain herself. Awakening from her frenzy she saw her friend Jeanne, a woman with long braided ice blonde hair wearing form fitting plate armor; in her hand was a high tech partisan with Vale's flag attached to it, around them was an expanded aura barrier. Under normal circumstances Jeanne's barrier would be able to hold out for at least several hours, yet in her weaken condition it would last at best a few minutes. Hildegard noticed a dangerously wounded Summer and immediately lifted her up and signaled Jeanne it would be time to leave. Raising her partisan Jeanne slammed it into the ground, causing a blazing light, incinerating the surrounding Grimm. When Salem looked once again she saw nothing except scorched earth and bewildered Grimm.

"LEAVE NONE ALIVE!"

 **Unknown...** **Atlesian Forward Outpost... A Few Hours Later...**

Despite the wounds Summer had suffered, she would be fine if treatment was given in time. The portal that had taken the expeditionary force to Salem, was now powering up and what remained of this incursion was planning to retreat. Hildegard, battered and beaten didn't want to retreat, besides she had a promise to keep. Despite the few hours of rest they had, they weren't out of the woods yet. Hildegard's thrashing had angered Salem, who now assembled every Grimm in the area and had them assailing the compound's walls. The base's robotic defenders would not last long, although it would have be long enough for them to escape. That was until Salem herself broke down the main gate and lead the Grimm on a direct course for the portal.

"Shit the portal isn't going to charge fast enough," A soldier said throwing his battered weapon to the ground.

They probably had at most a few minutes before the machine would activate, however no one wanted to stay behind to give them that time. In all the commotion, no one saw Summer stumble out of the frighten crowd. Weakly she raised a discarded Atlesian rifle firing what munitions were left at the incoming horde. The portal sparked to life and Hild was the first to notice Summer's blood stain hood neatly folded and the huntress herself missing. In a panic Hildegard surveyed the area then saw Summer standing alone against the horde of Grimm as she was finally brought to her knees. The huntress desperately tried to wade her way through the panic crowd of soldiers. Salem saw the horror on Hildegard's face as she dealt the final blow with Summer dispersing into beautiful white dust - the witch's smirk burnt into Hild's memory. As the portal began transporting personal, Hildegard witnessed Summer's final moments; there was no sadness only a smile and a message - "Watch over Ruby for me... my friend."

 **Remnant, Isle of Patch... Several days later...**

The stinging sensation on Hildegard's cheek was still fresh. In front of her stood a rather tall dashing man, whom held the blood stained white hood - Taiyang Xiao Long. Next to the man cowered a young girl with wild golden locks. The child apparently had never seen her father so furious before.

"I don't care if you were fighting an unstoppable foe!" The man shouted his rage piercing Hild's soul. "You swore to Yang, me and even Ruby! You swore you would return with my wife unharmed!"

"Tai I-" Hildegard said before being cut off, before seeing a crying girl with black hair and crimson highlights.

"Hildegard... Leave..." Tai's anger slowed with the crying of his youngest daughter - Ruby.

Bowing her head Hild stepped back and walked out the door. The last image she saw was Tai kneeling down at the smaller version of Summer and embracing her, the blood stained hood falling to the floor. Hildegard closed her eyes looking at the blood stained hood recalling a broken promise.

 **Xiao Long Residence... Several months ago...**

 _Hildegard sat on a dark green mid-century armchair, to her left in the same color and style sofa was a woman with silky pale skin, silver eyes and short black hair with red highlights. In the woman's lap slept a small child, who looked almost identical to her mother. Next to the woman sat a dashing young man, who also was dotting the sleeping child. The emotional closeness that the two shared obviously notified Hild that the two were lovers._

 _"Summer, I know I'm asking a lot from you, however you're the of the few people I trust." Hildegard crossed her arms looking at the huntress._

 _The fragile woman stared down at the child resting on her lap, before she turned to Hildegard and let out a sigh._

 _"I don't know Hild... It's not like I've stopped being a huntress, but I think this mission is too risky." she replied returning her attention to the child. "Besides, I want to focus on raising my children."_

 _Hildegard paused. "Risky? We have the support of some of the best huntsmen and huntresses throughout Remnant, not only that Atlas has given us military support."_

 _Hild's words were cut off by the man sitting next to Summer. "Hildegard, have you ever stopped to think there is a reason so many resources are being pulled into this? Do you even know what you're going after?" The man hesitated._

 _"Tai..." Summer said silently in the background._

 _"Unfortunately that is classified Tai, the only thing I know is that this thing is called Salem-," Her words stopped as she thought through it. "All that's important is that whatever it is, it can end everything on Remnant. As a huntress that is something I cannot allow."_

 _Both Tai and Summer looked at each other, they knew Hildegard was a woman of focus and once she set her mind on something she wouldn't stop. Summer took one last look at her daughter before turning to Hild._

 _"I'll do it..." Summer's reply shocked Tai._

 _"Summer you -" his reply was cut short by Summer placing a finger on his lips._

 _The Tai noticed Summers determination as he backed down. "Hild... I want you to promise me that you'll bring her back safely..."_

 _The huntress stood up removed her knife and slit her hand. "I Hildegard Soliel, with my own blood swear to return Summer Rose alive and well..."_

Opening her eyes she looked at her hand, the cut had physically healed, yet she was unable to keep her promise. Hild took one last look at the Xiao Long Family before closing the door, their cries of sadness pierced her heart and forced more grief and sorrow into her.

 **Several hours later... Forests of Patch...**

In her grief the huntress wandered aimlessly throughout the forest, yet she was not helpless. Any Grimm foolish enough to come across her path only met their demise. Hildegard hated what she had done, she was once known throughout as the "Shieldmaiden of Vale." Yet it was that prideful title that led her to take that suicide mission and sentence lifelong comrades to their deaths. But worse of all she dragged Summer, whom wanted to focus on her family, into this mess, and now she was dead. Aside for Jeanne who was her best friend, Summer was one of the few that dare approach and befriend her during her time at Beacon.

Hildegard finally collapsed on a nearby rock, exhausted and heartbroken she only wished to die. Although there would be no time for rest, the sounds of screaming caught her attention as she forced herself to her feet. Several minutes later, she came across what appeared to be a mother and daughter fleeing from a pack of beowolves. Hildegard noticed a rather large wound on the mother's back as she desperately pulled along the young child. Her instincts kicking in the huntress jumped right into the fray. She readied her massive axe, then signaled the woman and child to hide behind her - a request they were than grateful to comply with.

Hild lunged forward at blinding speeds turning the beowolves into nothing more than disintegrating body parts. Yet a rustling in the trees caught Hild's attention, a menacing Alpha emerged from its' hiding place. The beast did not seem happy with the huntress for killing its' pack and let out a fearsome howl; within moments at least three dozen more beowolves crept out of the forest. In response, Hild closed her eyes as she broke her massive weapon in two turning it into the smaller blade tonfas, taunting them she readied her stance for the Grimm's charge.

An hour passed and the huntress stood alive and well; not a single wound or scratch on her. The corpses of Grimm began fading away as she holstered her weapon and turned her attention to the woman and child. Though her worst fears came into fruition, the woman had several laceration wounds on her back. Quickly she rushed over to them, only to find the child although unconscious remained unharmed. The mother though was on her last legs and both Hild and her knew it.

"It's alright just hang in there, I'm going to bring you and your daughter to town," she said as the woman faintly smiled.

"I'm not her mother... just her caretaker..." she paused in between words while coughing blood. "Her mother left for a journey long ago... she's probably left this world already... the little one never knew her..."

"Then why were you two out here?"

"The little one sought to find her mother..." the woman's coughing became more violent. "I knew the truth... however I cannot deny the little one's wish..."

As the woman's coughs became more sporadic, Hildegard tried using her aura to heal her. An action that only resulted in even more brutal coughs and blood.

"No, don't bother... I have little time left..." she weakly said, her life fading

Hildegard tried her best to save the dying woman, yet her life only seemed fated to leave her. The woman on the other hand with the last of her life looked up at Hild and smiled as if she had seen an angel.

"I admit though... you... you remind me so much... of... Mistress... Scarlet..."

And with her last breath the woman passed away, her body cold and motionless. The huntress mourned for her inability to save the woman. A whimper caught Hild's attention as she turned to the small child. The child whimpered as if she knew her caretaker had left this world, a series of tears exiting her shut eyes. Hild cursed herself as she picked her up and walked towards town.

 **Hildegard's House, Patch, Kingdom of Vale... A few hours later...**

Hildegard was shocked as the child awoke and quickly jumped on her with excitement. The huntress was confused at first but then remembered the bond between Summer and Ruby.

"Mother... I finally found you..." the child cried, her tears seemed to melt away any sadness within Hildegard.

"I'm..." she paused, closing her eyes as thoughts of Summer flooded her mind.

 _Hild looked at Summer as she was saying goodbye to her children. Ruby the child who was a splitting image of her mother and an energetic child with golden locks The two youngster were crying as their mother tried to cheer them up._

 _"I'll see you both when I get back home. " Summer's warm smile, help calm the two children down._

 _Yang nodded trying to hold in her tears as Summer patted her head. Ruby grabbed onto her mother's cloak and refused to let go._

 _"No... mom you can't go..." Ruby said as she held onto the cloak and was shortly joined by Yang._

 _"My, my children sure are needy." Summer laughed as Hildegard stepped in._

 _Hildegard knelt down to eye level and looked at both Ruby and Yang, and did something out of character she smiled at the children._

 _"You're like a really strong huntress right?" Yang said bravely facing Hildegard. "You'll protect mom and bring her back?"_

 _"Don't worry, I promise I'll bring back your mother safe and sound."_

 _Y-you promise?" Ruby said as she hid behind her mother's cloak._

 _Hild chuckled. "Of course."_

 _Something in Hild's voice calmed the children down as they let go of Summer's cloak. Summer said her last farewells before continuing down the dirt path with Hildegard. Summer smiled at her friend before letting out a small amount of laughter._

 _"What?" Hild asked looking at her friend._

 _It took Summer a few moments to stop laughing to reply. "It's just I've never seen you smile, not only that you also comforted my children."_

 _Hild's cheeks grew rosy as she looked away from Summer. "I was just trying to calm them down... otherwise we'd never been able to leave."_

 _"You're more maternal than anyone would think?" Summer joked. "Now all we have to do is find you a man."_

 _The huntress' cheeks flared red as she quickened her pace, though she was unable to outrun Summer. Summer stopped Hild before she could bolt off and looked at her friend._

 _"I know you think that settling down isn't something for the "Shield Maiden of Vale". Still I think though everyone has an individual that forces a change in our hearts." she paused, stepping in front of Hild. "Once you find that individual, I want you to promise me."_

 _"Promise what?"_

 _"When you find this person, whether it be a man or child. I want you to take the chance, do not hesitate." she said twirling around with her warm, gentle smile._

Hild opened her eyes realizing the tears flowing from her eyes. She looked at the child snuggled in her bosom and smiled, as she embraced the child "Yes... little one you found me."

Over the next few days Hildegard had learned much from the young child whom was called Ailyth. Her mother appeared to be one known by the name of Scarlet; who lived in the frigid north of Atlas. Hild paused for a moment thinking of how far this child had traveled for someone who has been long dead. Yet upon seeing the photo in Ailyth's locket she became surprised at the resemblance. Aside from Scarlet's light maroon hair, crimson eyes and albeit slightly larger bust, both her and Hildegard looked almost identical.

It did take awhile for Hildegard to explain while the similarities are shocking, both her and Scarlet were completely different people. Yet Ailyth simply smiled as she hugged Hildegard, from what Hild could guess Ailyth didn't care. However from that hug Hildegard felt a happiness slowly flow through her and as if just for one moment everything was right in the world.


	2. Chapter One: The Shieldmaiden of Vale

**RWBY : Ashes**

 **A/N:** Well that was WAY longer than I anticipated. Now I still do have all the subsequent chapters written, yet I felt the story itself required a bridge between the prologue and Chapter 2 (which takes place several days before the events of Vol 3 Ep 12). Also I think I am planning on changing the summary as it was made for the prologue (at the time was meant to only be a one shot). So huzzah for chapter 1 being completed and enjoy.

 **Summary:** Hildegard Soleil is a huntress of great renown, known throughout Remnant as the "Shieldmaiden of Vale." After she causes the death of one of her closest friends she breaks down and seeks out death's embrace. Yet fate intervenes and places a young child in her care. With the help of this child Hildegard's world begins to drastically change. 

**Chapter One: The Shield Maiden of Vale**

 **Kingdom of Remnant, Isle of Patch, Hildegard's House...**

 **Three years before the events of Volume 3 Chapter 12...**

The morning sun gleamed through the open curtains of a child's room, it's warm beams tickling the cheek of a young teen that slept in the bed. A woman that could only be called stunning kneeled down on the bed and placed her hand on the teenager's head then kissed it gently. The teen's eyes fluttered open then gazed at the figure in front of her.

"Good morning, little one" the woman said smiling at her daughter. "If you don't hurry up Ailyth you'll miss school."

Immediately after hearing that statement Ailyth shot up from her bed and headed towards her desk where a neatly folded uniform awaited her. She tore through the plastic wrapping and held in her hand a uniform for Signal Academy. It had taken several months of pleading and straneous studying before Hildegard allowed Ailyth's enrollment into the academy. As the young teenager got dress, Hildegard smiled then headed down the steps to the kitchen. There the huntress came across her old friend who was still wearing her knightly armor and sipping coffee.

"Well that's something I probably won't ever see again," Jeanne chuckled taking another sip from her coffee.

"I know I've never seen a child so excited to go to school." Hildegard remarked setting down Ailyth's breakfast.

Hildegard paused as she set the meal down and turned to an essay taped to the fridge title "What I want to be when I grow up,"Ailyth had wrote for her final year of elementary school. The first line stated she wished for more than anything to become a Huntress just like Hildegard; a thought that greatly worried her.

"Hild… I know what happened with Summer hurts… it hurts us all," Jeanne paused. "But you need to move on, you have Ailyth to take care of now."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Well for starters why don't you support little Ailyth?" Jeanne paused taking another sip of her coffee. "I mean who better to teach her than you? I can get you a position at Signal if that helps,"

The huntress paused as she pondered the thought before the memory of the Xiao Long family ran through her head. Not to mention several other hunters and huntress that knew Hildegard and the demise their fellow loved ones faced.

"No Jeanne… Tensions are already high with the families here in Patch, especially with the huntsmen and huntresses."

Hildegard sighed thinking about the battle a few years before. "Ailyth is still at odds with Yang, for something I did; heavens knows what will happen once I become a teacher."

The huntress sitting at the table took another sip of her coffee before standing up. "Hild… you need to move past this… otherwise you'll end up isolating Ailyth like you did yourself."

Hildegard's friend placed the mug on the table before bowing to her hostess and stepping out of the house. The huntress once again sighed and turned towards the window to watch her friend walk down the road. The huntress remembered the battle she had several years ago fighting Salem. A battle fueled by her sick sense of justice which costed her Summer's life. It was a battle that Hild wished with all her being to take back. The only solace that she found though was it brought little Ailyth to her. Before any thing else entered Hild's mind the young teenager came down the stairs and smiled at her mother.

"Mom how do I look?" Ailyth asked

Hildegard looked at the young teenager and smiled back at her. "You look gorgeous little one now grab some breakfast before you end up being late"

Ailyth nodded as she got to the table and started eating as Hild leaned against the kitchen counter drinking her coffee. After about 15 minutes Ailyth finished her meal and said her goodbyes as she head through the door.

Several hours passed as the huntress cleaned up her house, as she did her old armor caught her eye. The form fitting full plate armor which gave her the title of Shieldmaiden of Vale, it showed signs of wear but at the same time the armor was a testament to Hildegard's reputation. The huntress chuckled as she now saw her armor gathering dust, but attached to it though was the very sword her mother had used. She opened the case and examined the sword, the sword was stuck inside of its scabbard; but the just going off that alone she traced the unique engravings. Before she noticed that she had never used the weapon but kept it at her side at all time to remember her mother. Setting it down noticed the small engraved ring around her index finger. It was a family heirloom, one that would one day find its way into Ailyth's possession. The huntress found herself lost in thought before a knock on the door caught her attention, setting the sword back in the case she headed to the door. Much to her surprise when she opened the door there was an unexpected guest – the woman named Scarlet.

"Good morning , I'm sure you already know who I am but would it be okay if we discussed this inside."

Hildegard let Scarlet inside and set a cup of coffee by her seat and took a seat in the chair across from her.

"You want to take Ailyth back?" She asked knowing full well the answer.

"Surprisingly no… you've done well to provide little Ailyth with a life my duty would prevent me from doing so, she seems happy and content." Scarlet paused to take a sip of coffee. "Not to mention who better than to protect her than Brynhildr's daughter."

Hildegard shot up in surprise but quickly calmed herself. "What do you know of my mother?"

"We've fought together for many years… though after seeing you I can say the apple indeed hasn't fallen far."

"What do you mean!"

"Well…you're acting just like your mother when she lost your father."

Almost on instinct Hildegard grabbed her mother's sword and tried to point it at Scarlet; yet she found herself unable to unsheathe the blade. Scarlet herself took great interest as she noticed Hild try and pull the sword from its scabbard.

"Interesting..." The mysterious woman's interest drifted from the sword to the ring around Hild's finger. "You haven't been able to pull it free..."

"It's just old... hasn't been used since my mother." Hild retorted as she set the weapon down.

Scarlet's silence worried the huntress as she sat back down with a myriad of emotions swirling through her. Which the mysterious woman caught onto and corrected herself.

"Enough of that, I'm not really here to reminisce about the past, I'm here to discuss Ailyth." Scarlet said changing the subject.

"What is she you're daughter?" Hild asked standing down as Scarlet finished up her coffee.

"No... but she's someone that needs protection. At the moment the people looking for her believe she's dead." Scarlet stood up from her chair and picked up a picture of Ailyth and Hildegard. "I believe with the current situation I can leave her in your care."

Before Hildegard could ask Scarlet any further questions, the scroll in Scarlet's pocket went off. Excusing the woman for a few minutes, the worst case scenarios ran through Hildegard's head as she thought of Ailyth being taken from her. Several minutes pasted as she ran through every possible scenario before Scarlet reappeared.

"I apologize but it seems I must be on my way." The mysterious woman said bowing to Hildegard.

Before Scarlet could approach the door Hildegard panicked."What about Ailyth!"

Scarlet sighed as turned back to the panicked huntress. "As I said, I will leave her in your care; honestly you could use it."

Hildegard seemed confused at first before noticing her predicament she was in before Ailyth. It was that small child that brought her from the brink of darkness, it was her that warmed up the her icy heart. If it wasn't for Ailyth, Hildegard would have surely just continued to wander aimlessly throughout Remnant until she died.

"My mother... she..."

"When your father pasted away... you were the only thing that prevented her from slipping into depression." Scarlet nodded. "I'm hoping Ailyth can do the same for you."

With that the Scarlet stepped through the door and when Hildegard went to chase her there was nothing there but a small note.

 _If I was you I'd hurry to the Forests on the Outskirts of town... The little one is in danger..._ - _Scarlet_.

Without a moment's hesitation Hild ran into the house grabbing her armor and weapon before looking at her mother's sword which not returned to her side. " _Mother... give me strength..._ "

 **Somewhere in the Forests on the Outskirts of Patch...**

Any and all joy Ailyth had obtained from her first day of school had vanished as she was left beaten and alone in the forests. The young teen had known better, yet she wanted to believe in her classmates. Ailyth had made several "friends" that were actually out to get revenge against Hildegard whom had lead their parents to their untimely deaths. They had lead her into the forest and against her better judgment, she followed. About two hours in they proceeded to beat her until she was unconscious. Several hours later she awoke and began stumbling towards town. Her body ached and all around her the sounds of roars grew closer; she fully knew what was now hunting her within the woods - Grimm.

At the current pace she was moving at there would be no way for her to make it back to town without the Grimm catching up to her and for a brief moment Ailyth collapsed. As her eyes fluttered in and out of consciousness she saw glimpses of Beowolves creeping closer to her. Yet the sudden sounds of combat followed by an intense feeling of relief came over her. When she opened her eyes there stood Hildegard who almost seemed divine to the teen. Despite the sight of her mother the ever increasing Grimm only worried her more.

Hildegard had healed Ailyth to the best of her ability yet, they were far from safe. The huntress continued to see more and more Grimm emerge from the forest, most likely drawn in from the fear that Ailyth was emitting. Yet something was wrong the Beowolves that continued to gather didn't charge as they normally would. Instead they stood back as if waiting to pick up the scraps. Before she could react a huge stone fist grabbed Hild and held her as the Beowolves began to close in. Looking up she noticed the massive stone golem with a Grimm mask acting as its head - a Geist.

"Damnit! Let go of me!" She shouted only feeling the creature tighten its hold.

She watched in horror as the Grimm slowly crept at the panicking Ailyth and with Hildegard unable to do anything to stop them. Her own Aura levels were depleting fast as she tried preventing the massive stone golem from crushing her. With what strength she could muster she activated the overload function on her weapon - Imperatus. Forcing the weapon's power to become unstable within moments caused a massive explosion that destroyed the fist of the Golem. The beast bellowed back as Hild slammed into the ground her Aura completely depleted absorbing the blast. She quickly came to her senses as the Beowolves lunged at the frightened teen.

Without any aura to absorb the strikes the claws of the beast sliced through the thin armor of her back plate. Hildegard let out a deafening scream as she fell to her knees to conceal and protect Ailyth. After the first attack blood seeped from her back as more and more Beowolves struck at her. The teen held tears in her eyes as she watched her mother yell in pain as she smiled telling Ailyth it'd be alright.

"It's alright... little one we'll be alright..." she said wincing at the pain.

Ailyth knelt to her mother and began sobbing. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Hildegard smiled as held Ailyth, ready to die. A bright, warm light engulfed her and she suddenly felt no pain. Looking up she noticed she was no longer within the forests of Patch. Instead she was in a bright open field with an all too familiar figure standing before her, robust orange hair, gleaming emerald eyes, pale complexion and fiery red armor - Brynhildr her mother.

"Am I dead? Is Aiylth okay?" she panicked looking for the teen she was shielding.

The woman laughed as she approached her daughter. "No you're not dead. You're right now inside the family ring the Nibelung."

Hildegard paused as the statement alone sounded crazy. "You mean our family heirloom, the ring of succession?"

"Yes as ridiculous as it sounds you are in our family's ring, the very ring every matriarch of the Soleil family has worn." Brynhildr laughed before the fabricated world around them shook. "There isn't much time Hildegard... I must ask; what are you willing to sacrifice for power?"  
"What are you talking about?" Hildegard asked as the world shook once again.

Brynhildr sighed as she looked at her daughter. "There isn't time, right now the ring has created a barrier to protect you and the little one. Each second we waste is a second the barrier fades."

Taking notice of her surroundings Hildegard noticed the once bright field slowly fading from existence with Brynhildr still looking at her but with several undistinguishable shadows looming over her. The figures though didn't intimidate her, she instead felt comfort coming from them.

"I will give whatever is necessary to obtain the power to protect those I hold dear." she replied as Brynhildr smiled and held out her hand.

"Now take my hand my daughter, embrace our... no your birthright!" Brynhildr said as her daughter took her hand. "The contract is complete and the Relic Gram will now heed your command!"

Before Hildegard noticed it, she was blocking the Geist's stone fist with the now drawn sword. But that wasn't all that had changed she was now adored with the armor she had seen her mother wearing but instead of a fiery red it was coated an icy blue. Her body no longer ached and her aura levels were charged back to max. With her newfound strength she pushed back the stone fist with little effort, knocking the massive stone golem down. She took a brief moment to look at the newly drawn Gram. The blade was at least five feet and the blade was primarily azure with silver accents a truly beautiful weapon. The Beowolves that had stood back when she pushed back the golem were not fleeing; a trait Grim were not known for. Yet the Geist stood up and extended its arm to grab hold of some nearby rocks to reform its shattered fist.

Normally fighting a Geist would worry Hildegard but for some reason she felt calm. A voice kept running through her head telling her to concentrate on pooling her aura into the blade. The newly reformed stone golem charged at the huntress and she responded the same way stabbing the sword into the golem's chest. With that she released all the stored energy in the blade into the golem. The influx of energy started to make small cracks in the stone. until eventually the stone beast as it exploded into chunks of debris. The following explosion enveloped the fleeing Geist destroying it and the surrounding Grimm.

In a moment of stupor Hildegard glared at that gleaming light, she held in her hand. She couldn't believe the power now at her fingertips, yet she quickly put those thoughts aside as she rushed to an unconscious Ailyth. Rushing to her side Hildegard attempted to waken the slumbering teen. With a few quick pats her eyes open and the first thing that immediately overcame the two was a warm embrace.

 **Several Hours Later…**

When the two return to Hildegard smiled at the teen wrapped around her shoulder, but at the foot of the doorstep were two things, package and a letter. The package was addressed to Ailyth while the letter was addressed to Hildegard, but they were both sent by the same person- was too worn out from her encounter decided to fall asleep on the couch while Hildegard opened the letter, a small red vial accompanied it.

 _Dear Ms. Soliel,_

 _It is a relief to know you succeeded in not only saving little Ailyth but in awaking Gram from its long slumber. Like I mentioned before please give the little one a life I was unable to give her, she likes you. Just know that guarding her comes with great risks, but nonetheless I firmly believe you're the right choice to give her a normal life. I wish you both the best of luck and should anything beyond your control occur, just break that vial..._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Scarlet_

 _P.s: I left Ailyth's favorite story book…_

Hildegard set the letter and vial down, then turned to the package addressed to Ailyth she removed the wrappings to reveal a book that would have probably been best at a museum. The title was barely eligible yet Hild traced her fingers across the engraved wording on the cover _The Legacy of the Forgotten King._ Despite the book's age it was in excellent condition, the huntress flipped through several pages reading the table of contents, with several chapters gaining her attention; _Formation of the Onyx Sentinels, The Council of Seven, The King's Daughter,_ but most of all _The King's Gift._

The story detailed a once great king whom walked amongst gods, but he took pity on mankind. Seeing humanity struggle with survival and the Grimm, the King offered them the gift of Dust. Man happily accepted the gift and prospered, yet the gods became angered with the King and instead twist and corrupted his gift. The gods seeded hatred, turmoil, strife, jealously and passion into man. Man being primitive and violent creatures used their new gift which was meant to save them against each other. As punishment the King was banished from the heavens and forever chained at the top of the world to witness mankind destroy each other with his gift.

To Hildegard the story seemed farfetched yet she had remembered Ailyth mentioning several of the stories in her younger years. But what worried her most was that none of the stories in the book were things she had never heard of. Her thought process was halted when the young teenager awoke and noticed the book in Hild's hands. The teen took the book then started reading through the chapters as Hildegard smiled and sat beside her daughter. After the events of today she knew what needed to be done.

 **The following week… Signal Academy…**

Normal classes ended as Ailyth stood up from her chair and was headed toward combat classes, yet when she got to the door, her professor had stopped her.

"Ms. Soliel… you won't be attending normal combat class as of today."

"What are you saying have I done something wrong?" she asked startled.

"Just report to Field 4a your instructor will take care of you there."

The professor stepped out of the room as Ailyth followed down to the courtyard towards the combat fields. As she wandered there thoughts ran through her head of what she had possibly done this past week. Yet when she got to the courtyard she saw all too familiar figures. Hildegard and Jeanne sat at the professors booth drink coffee when Ailyth ran towards them. Almost immediately Ailyth hugged her mother and smiled at Jeanne who chuckled. She examined the new icy blue armor that her mother wore and asked what had happened to her old set. Hildegard chuckled as she just continued to hug her child.

"What are you doing here mom?" the teen asked.

Hildegard smiled as she held up the paper that little Ailyth had written so many years ago. "Didn't you say you wanted to be a Huntress?"

Excited Ailyth again hugged her mother, whom set her aside with her demeanor completely changed.

"Daughter or not, that does not mean we will take it easy on you, I hope you're ready for a long harsh school year."

 **Closing Notes:** Note to self... I really hate how Fanfiction auto formats everything. I apologize if the chapter's format seems a bit odd. It may be caused by this chapter changing hands so much alternating between my tablet, comp, and phone. See you at the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 2: Guardians

****A/N:** ** Well been quite A LONG time since I've even done anything on fanfiction. Been busy with life and such, but actually I had this chapter done perhaps a month or two ago and was going to publish it. But I decided to find an editor instead, so after going back and fixing both the prologue and chapter one I now present chapter 2.

P.S: I still am displeased with Fanfiction's auto formatting.

 **RWBY: Ashes**

 **Chapter Two: Guardians**

 **Kingdom of Vale, Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office...**

 **Present day (Several days before the events of Vol 3 Episode 12)...**

Hildegard stood in the middle of a room filled with familiar faces — the room's interior seeming as it had come out of a child's storybook. Almost as if one was trapped in the inside of a clock tower. A man who looked young, but held an aura of age and wisdom sat behind his desk contemplating the next thing to say to the huntress. On his right a woman with a stern expression and blonde hair and finally, a man roughly around Hild's age leaned against a nearby pillar. Despite the best attempts to hide it, everyone in the room knew he was drunk. Ozpin, Glynda and Qrow, all former allies a futile crusade Hild had participated in years prior.

"Hildegard I imagine you know why you've been summoned here?" Ozipin asked, his face deep in thought.

"And I can say you already know my response." Hild's reply was cold.

Ozpin sighed as he seemed genuinely worried. "Even in the face of a threat that could topple all of mankind, you'd simply back away?"

"Yes..."

Although her reply was short and low, everyone in the room understood why it was so.

Glynda who had been minding the conversation stepped in. "We all know you suffered a great deal during the last offensive but -,"

Almost immediately Hildegard slammed her fist into the wall behind her; the force causing the cogs and gears in the room to rattle.

"Suffered?" she stated in a tone that seemed too close to sarcastic. At that moment, rationality had escaped from Hild's mindset. "Were _you_ the one who went to each and every family of those that died that day. Did _you_ have to get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness? Did _you_ hand Summer's blood stained cloak to her husband and watched as her family suffered?"

"Because of _my_ twisted sense of duty! I sent thousands of soldier and countless friends to their deaths."As her outburst subsided, she realized her mistake and returned to a calm state of mind. "It's not just Summer's death that haunts me... It's the families of those that never returned... I've orphaned so many children..."

Ozpin noticed several student applications sprawled across his desk and picked the one on the very top. The name on the application caught Hild's attention almost immediately.

"From what I can tell you adopted one of those girls you orphaned" Ozpin said setting the file down."Don't you want her to grow up in a world without the threat of destruction."

The comment seemed appealing to Hildegard at first, but her final moments with the Xiao long family's grief and almost losing Ailyth snapped her out of any dreams of grandeur.

"I want nothing to do with Salem... you'll need to find yourself another guardian." Her reply shocked everyone in the room. As she turned towards the elevator, Qrow stepped up with his flaring red.

"Summer would've been ashamed to have sacrificed herself to save you!" Qrow's comment struck Hildegard hard as she backed into the elevator and quickly closed the doors.

 _"I will keep my promise Summer... As long as I live NO ONE will harm Ruby_..." Hild thought to herself.

When the elevator door opened Hildegard's friend Jeanne was leaning on the nearby pillar in her hand was her scroll. Upon seeing Hildegard she quickly put it away and greeted her friend.

"Well how did the meeting with Oz go?" Jeanne asked noticing Hildegard a bit shaken.

"Just the normal they wanted me to return."

"Well I guess we should try to locate the little one."

Hildegard paused as she looked around almost forgetting the paperwork that Ozpin had showed her. The name on the application was Aiylth's, yet Hildegard hadn't allowed her to send one in.

"Jeanne... by any chance did you help Aiylth send in an application?" Hild hid back her anger.

"Heh... um... I may have or have not sent in an application form just lying around your house." Jeanne's reply seemed worried.

Hildegard sighed as she started walking towards the entrance, with Jeanne following close behind her. "Guess I'll just have to put Aiylth to the test and see if she's fully ready."

 **Outside Beacon Academy... Festival Grounds...**

Ailyth continued to observe the festivities around her, this had been the first time she had ever heard of the Vytal Festival. It had been several years since that day in the forest and she was now 17 years old and had done much traveling with her mother and aunt. And like her essay she had written so long ago she wished more than anything to enter Beacon Academy, though today she was excited to see her old friend. In a flash of red and rose petals, Ailyth found herself pinned to the ground, yet she didn't mind as she hugged her friend Ruby.

"Good to see you Ruby how have you been?" Ailyth asked standing up and began dusting herself off.

"I'm doing fine! I've been in good hands." Ruby replied. "How are thing back in Patch?"

"Normal for the most part..."

Since Ailyth started her training with Hildegard and Jeanne it had become her goal to enter Beacon Academy, a dream that grew stronger with Ruby's acceptance. Ailyth held a smile on her face before she came face to face with familiar golden locks - Yang Xiao Long. Ailyth went immediately silent until the rest of the group arrived, she hesitated for a moment before extending her hand to the golden beauty. Tensions were high until Yang reached in and snatched her hand.

"It's been quite awhile hasn't it Ailyth Soleil." Yang smiled as she pulled in the young woman. "You up for a rematch?"

Ailyth and Yang had never been on the best of terms, but before Yang left for Beacon the two fought each other to a draw, which ended in mutual respect for one another. Immediately Ailyth smiled back excitedly.

"Only if you're ready to get beaten." Ailyth's mood brightened.

There were two teens that stood watching, one held a aura of nobility with pale skin and long white hair, while the other held an aura of mystery; Weiss and Blake. The icy woman in Ruby's team looked astonished before realizing Ailyth's maiden name.

"Wait, Soleil? As in the daughter of Hildegard Soleil, the Shield maiden of Vale?" Weiss asked attracting the attention of several people.

"That's correct!" a familiar voice emerged from the crowd as two women stepped forward.

Hildegard would best be described as a timeless beauty, flowing ice blue hair, peerless silk skin, with a slim build and more than ample bust. The woman to Hildegard's side held a slender build, with flowing ice blonde hair and a smile that enchanted the men in the crowd - Jeanne; Hildegard's best friend and sole teammate.

"Mom, Aunt Arc!" Ailyth shouted running to her guardians.

Hildegard patted her daughter's head and gave her a warm smile, which coming from the widely known stern and cold shield maiden was rare. Jeanne hugged her god daughter tightly since it had been a few months since she had last seen her.

Ruby immediately approached Jeanne as if she had seen a resemblance before. "Umm... by any chance are you related to Jaune Arc?"

Jeanne simply started to break out into laughter. "Of course, he's my younger brother."

For a moment everything was silent until about half the crowd broke into hysterical laughter. Most of team RWBY couldn't tell if that was a joke or if the crowd had lost their mind. Amidst the confusion team RWBY had almost missed the trio leaving the area.

Atrium outside of Beacon Academy...

Despite the constant questions Hildegard was asked by a very intrigued Weiss, the huntress maintained her calm composure. But after awhile Weiss' questions were redirected to Jeanne, whom was currently locked into a conversation with both Ruby and Blake retelling tales of their adventures. Hildegard watched as her best friend tried to keep up a strong front. Yet Hildegard was more focused on her daughter that seemed to be enjoying herself.

"So Ailyth have you submitted your paperwork to get into Beacon?" Yang asked looking at Ailyth.

"Not yet... Hild wants me to pass one more hurdle before she'll submit the forms." Ailyth's reply sparked light bulbs for Hildegard.

The huntress stopped before looking at the Vytal Festival singles finalist in front of her. "Ailyth, I'll submit the paperwork if you can beat Yang in a one on one match."

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing when Hildegard brought it up.

Beacon Training Arena...

A large crowd had gathered in the vicinity of the typically silent training arena. Ruby, Blake and Weiss were situated at the front of the stands, gazing at the two combatants at the center.

"So... who do you think going to win?" Ruby asked.

Blake's hand came up to her chin, her eyes examining that two figures below her. "I'm not sure since this would be Ailyth's first public match, no one really knows her fighting style. So she'd have a slight advantage there."

"But Yang fought and tied with Ailyth during their last fight." Weiss retorted before returning her gaze to the combatants. "If anything Yang's got the combat experience to overcome that."

"A lot can change in a year, look at us." Blake solemnly replied. "For all we know her fighting style could have completely changed."

Tensions between both Weiss and Blake began to rise as they argued over which of the two were better. Ruby relieved the pressure as she waved her hands in between them.

"Don't worry, Yang's got this match in the bag, hands down." Ruby's hands were slanted, before noticing her confidence got the better of her. "Well, Ailyth is no slouch either... besides she has more at stake than Yang."

 _"What do you mean?" Jeanne asked looking at her best friend confused._

 _"Exactly like I said. Ailyth needs to prove to me that she's ready, what better way than to fight the only person she's tied with." Hild's reply wasn't accepted by most of the group._

 _Weiss stepped in wanting to give her two cents. "Yang might have a match in a few days, I don't think we can risk her getting injured" she paused. "WE are representing Beacon after all."_

 _Hildegard nodded in agreement before the normally quiet Blake stepped in. "But I think this might be a good way to get Yang warmed up for the match."_

 _Everyone was deep in thought except for Ruby whom had fallen into a slumber. Yang stood there nodding her head several times before turning towards Hildegard._

 _"Alright Ms. Soleil I'll fight Ailyth." she finally said energetically. "Just know I'm not going to go easy on her at all."_

 _Hildegard glared back at the young huntress. "I wouldn't have it any other way."_

Ailyth stared at her opponent several meters across from her, a hint of excitement in her eyes. Yang Xiao Long was selected to represent Team RWBY in the singles round of the Vytal Festival tournament, yet none of that mattered at the moment as this match would determine her future. She took a stance as she grasped a glaive like weapon emitting a blue luminescent light, the weapon she had built at Signal Academy - Pandora. The two combatants stared each other down, tension building up until Hildegard gave a the signal to start the match.

In an instant Yang had closed the distance between the two forcing Ailyth back as she used her glaive to deflect incoming punches. It had been about a year since the two had fought and Ailyth could see the vast improvement in Yang's skills, she was barely leaving an opening for her. This left Ailyth with the only option to continue to block, Pandora's light slowly shifted to a darker shade of color. The color change caught Yang's attention, buying Ailyth a split second to shift into attack mode. A flurry of blue descended on the golden beauty as she tried to dodge, but ultimately couldn't evade them all. Before the glaive could inflict anymore damage Yang fired off several shotgun shells from Ember Cecilia repelling the weapon giving her enough time to back off. Yang looked that the young woman as she once again readied her stance.

"I see your skills haven't dulled." Yang said a grin spread across her face.

A grin appeared on Ailyth's face before she blasted off towards her. Yang replied with a similar approach as the two once again collided. Several minutes of fighting passed as the two seemed to be on equal footing with each refusing to give up to the another. Ultimately the match ended with the two combatants fighting until they literally collapsed from exhaustion.

Though this meant that Ailyth had failed to complete her objective. The young huntress forced herself up as Hildegard walked over to her. But much to her surprise there was not a look of disappointment on her face, but more of a sense of accomplishment.

"You fought well... little one." Hild said as she looked at her daughter.

"I failed..." Ailyth seemed upset, but Hildegard only chuckled.

"No Ailyth, you've proven to me you're ready for this. I couldn't be more proud of you."

The young huntress in training's face lit up as Hildegard held out the paperwork for enrollment. "THANKS SO MUCH MOM!"

Mother and daughter embraced as Team RWBY helped up Yang. As the embrace ended the training arena sounded with the applause of the crowd that had come to watch the training match. Yet amidst the cheering and excitement a sinister presence watched from on high in the stands. A woman with a single black pony tail, amber eyes and a dark gray uniform from Haven Academy. Next to her was a young man who if not for the school uniform could be mistaken for a mercenary.

"First the drunk, now two world renowned huntresses, should we be worried?" a woman with medium brown skin, crimson eyes, and mint green hair entered the scene.

"No, as long as stay under their radar we'll be fine, we just have to finish what we came here to do." the Amber eyed woman said with a smug grin across her face. "But... it would be interesting to take them out; Emerald... contact our informant."

Back on the arena floor Hildegard's eyes gazed at the spot the three figures once stood, sensing a malicious intent directed towards her and possibly Ailyth. She scoured her surroundings once more before noticing whoever gave off that murderous atmosphere had already left.

Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office...

Ozpin sat in his chair, hands resting underneath his chin, his three colleagues bickering among each other. They had been arguing about not being able to convince Hildegard to join them. Qrow insisted that she was a coward and should have never been their first choice. Glynda argued back that they should have known better and she had too much to lose, while Ironwood pressured in bringing more troops to their cause. The aging man sighed as he closed his eyes and reached into a drawer pulling out a file. He placed it on the desk, the three figures turned to Ozpin their eyes wide.

"You can't be serious Ozpin!" Glynda said almost shocked.

Ozpin shook his head, he knew that, but what choice did they have. "We're out of time..."

His reply lingered in the room before Ironwood stepped in. "Surely there has to be another candidate, we could look through my Specialists -"

"Why? So Atlus can hold more power? The council has already given you authority over Ozpin." Qrow interrupted his face flaring red.

"No Qrow, everything I did was to ensure to the safety of the people. That is what is important here!" the general retorted.

Qrow's counter was silenced as a hand rose from near the desk. "No... Ironwood is correct we need to protect the people. Besides what we need now isn't an army. What we need is a guardian."

Silence swept across the room as each of the three nodded slowly in agreement. Each of their faces held signs of doubt as they stared at the name on the file - Pyrrha Nikos.


End file.
